Interview skills for adults with autism spectrum disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
A 12-week group BST package sharply improves mock job-interview skills in adults with ASD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lindee and her team ran a small RCT with the adults with autism. Half got the 12-week Interview Skills Curriculum. The other half waited.
The curriculum met in groups once a week. Each 90-minute session used modeling, role-play, and feedback. Goals were eye contact, greeting, staying on topic, and asking questions.
Trainers scored each adult in a mock job interview before and after the 12 weeks.
What they found
The trained group beat the waitlist on every social-pragmatic skill measured. Effect sizes were large.
Mood and daily-life social contacts also improved, but the study was too small to say for sure.
How this fits with other research
Sung et al. (2019) shortened the idea to eight weeks for 18-young learners and still saw gains. Together the two studies show the dose can flex.
Kassardjian et al. (2014) tested single 20-minute teaching-interaction sessions with kids. Their quick role-play success backs the core BST parts used here.
Chan et al. (2021) meta-analysis found exercise programs also lift social skills in youth. Movement plus BST might pack an even bigger punch.
Why it matters
You now have a ready-made 12-week script that works for adults with ASD. Plug it into day-hab or vocational programs. Start each session with a 2-minute model, then jump to role-play and instant feedback. Track mock-interview scores weekly; you should see change by week 4.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of the interview skills curriculum (ISC), a manualized 12-week group-delivered intervention for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This intervention aims to increase social-pragmatic skills essential to a successful job interview. Twenty-eight adults (18-36 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: ISC or waitlist control. Results revealed that the experimental group showed larger gains in social-pragmatic skills observed during a mock job interview than the control group. Treatment effects on distal outcomes, including social adaptive behaviors and depressive symptoms were not significant, although the respective effect sizes were medium/large. Results indicate that a brief, low-intensity treatment can improve the job-interview performance of young adults with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2014 · doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2100-3